Means for transforming electrical energy.



E. WBINTRALUB. MEANS FOR TRANSFORMING ELECTRICAL ENERGY APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26, 190%.

1,086,101? Patented Feb. 3, 1914 Fig. l Flg.2

WITNESSES? INVENTQQ:

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UNITED s'rn'rns PATENT ermine.

EZECHIEL WEINTRAUB, 0F S('JI-IEN'EC'IAIDY, NEW YORK, ASSIGN'OR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

- MEANS FOR TRANSFOBMING ELECTRICAL ENERGY;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

I Application filed February 26, 1902. Serial No. 95,660.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Eznornnn \VEINTRAUB, a subject of the Czar of Russia, residing at- Sc henectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Transforming Electrical Energy, of which it is of this vapor that I chiefly make use,

though it is of course to be understood that I do not wish my invention to be limited to the employment of this vapor only.

In lamps of thecharacter described, various difficult-iesand disadvantages are attendant upon the means heretofore employed for starting the arc. The usual method of starting, of which of course there are various modifications, is to impress upon the electrodes of the lamp, for a certain period or periods, a high electro-motive force, many times greater in value than the normal electro-motive force at which the lamp is intended to operate. This starting electro-motive force operates or at least appears to operate to break down the high initial resistance or opposition to current flow between the electrodes of the lamp whereupon the lamp starts.

My present invention, among other valuable features, provides a means whereby a lamp of the type mentioned may be started into operation by the utilization of moderate electroanotive forces, such for example as those normally employed by the lamp, though my invention permits a wide range of starting electro-motive force.

Before passing on to the explanation of my invention in detail it may perhaps be well to state first certain considerations which may aid in explaining the theory of operation of the lamp. In general, I start the are by projecting into its path the vapor of ,mercury or other similar vapor. It is not sufficient that this vapor should be of that form which would be produced by the evaporation of mercury by heat, for when in this condition it has been found that the mercury vapor is practically, or at least nearly, a non-conductor for the electric current so that the presence of such vapor not only does not help the lamp to start, but actually hinders it. Something more is necessaryand this necessity requires that the mercury should not only be in the form of a vapor, but this vapor should be in an ionized condition. It is perhaps impossible to state exactly what this condition is but it will be sufiicient for the present purpose to state that when in the ionized condition the mercury vapor is a good conductor of the electric current, whereas ordinary mercury vapor is practically a nonconductor. I have found that such ionized mercury vapor may be produced within the inolosing or containing member of the lamp by means of a supplemental or auxiliary mechanism operating at comparatively low electro-motive force and that this ionized vapor once produced immediately causes current to pass between the main electrodes of the lamp, which thereupon operates normally. The lighting up of the maih tube of the lamp, so far as the eye can see, is or may be simultaneous with the initiatory production of the ionized vapor by the sup plemental or auxiliary device.

After the lamp has been started, the supplemental or auxiliary mechanism or means for generating the ionized vapor maybe cut out of circuit or otherwise put out of action if desired, and this operation may be performed either manually. or automatically. I have found however that if this auxiliary or supplemental source of ionized vapor be continued in operation a most important advantage may-be secured. When the lamp is maintainedin circuit under certain conditions either of impressed volt-age or of.

to undue reduction he value.

of current, is instantly counteracted by the supply of ions produced by the supplemental source, these ions immediately bringing back the flow of current to' its normal My invention further comprises various features for assisting the beneficial effects of the starting means, particularly useful in relatively long lamps. In carrying out this last feature of my invention I provide one of the electrodes of the lamp with a conducting medium extending in the direction of the -other electrode. This conducting medium may be in the form of a carbon filament, though in this connection I may employ a filament, rod, or other suitably shaped conductor of carborundum or of graphite or of mixtures of carborundu'm, graphite and clay since these materials possess the valuable advantage that they do not occlude gases to any extent nor do they, by the action of heat, become chemically changed in such a manner as to produce gases. This advantage is extremely important since, in lamps to which my invention is to be applied, it seems to be necessary that the vacuum or degree of exhaustion should be as near absolute perfection as possible. Thus I get good results in long tubes with a vacuum represented by 1/1000 of a millimeter of mercury.

My invention comprises also other valuable features together with various details of construction and arrangement, all of which will be set forth more specifically in my invention, and Fig.

the following description, taken in connec tion with the accompanying drawings, in Wl1lCl1 l igure i represents one embodiment of an arrangement containing certain additional features.

In Fig. l a lamp is shown, the main body portion of which consists of a straight tube 1 of somewhat indefinite length as indicated conventionally by the dotted lines 2, 2. The

site end of the tube is the anode 6f Graphite,

length of the tube varies in accordance with the voltage in connection with which the tube is to be used. The lower end of the lamp contains a body of mercury 3 extending down into a contracted neck 4- of the tube, with the lower end of which communicates a terminal 5 which may be of platinum or other suitable material having the proper coefficient of expansion. The body of 55 mercury 3 above referred to, constitutes one of the operative electrodes of the lamp and is connected with the negative conductor leading from a source of direct current, whereby it acts as a cathode. At the oppo- This may be formed of various materials such as iron, silicon, carborundum, or mixtures of carborundum, graphite and clay, carbon,

graphite or a mixture of graphite and clay. i carborundum and clay possess the 1 ipecaoi advantage that they do not tenaciously retain occluded gases nor do they, when acted upon by heat, undergo such chemical change as would give rise to the production of gases, the advantage of which is set forth above. The electrode 6, to which reference has been made, is connected by a platinum or other suitable Wire 7 passing through a glass wall into an exhausted chamber 8 through which .by means of a coiled or extensible wire 9, connection is made with the exterior terminal '10 of the lamp which terminal is connected to the other pole of the source of direct current. The object of the supplemental exhausted chamber 8 is to relieve'the pressure around the joint between the platiniim Wire 7 and the glass surrounding it, thereby reducing, as far as possible, any tendency toward leakage of air into the main tube. In connection with the main lamp electrodes thus described, there will be noticed an additional or supplemental electrode, consisting in this instance of a body of mercury 11, normally separated from the mercury 3 but in proximity thereto, and contained within a cavity 12 from which depends a tubular extension 13 into which projects one end of a supple mentary exterior terminal 14L sealed through the glass forming the walls of the extension.

I find it extremely desirable, if not absolutely necessary, that the mercury should be introduced into the tube in as pure a condition as possible, and I find that this may be done by placing the mercury first within a vessel, not shown, communicating with the main tube 1. through a suitable passage as, for example, through the tubular extension 24, and then distilling the mercury into the main tube in vacuum. The extension, may then be sealed off as shown. After the mercury has been introduced into the tube, the latter must be evacuated to as high a degree as possible, which is done by pumping, through the extension 15, and this pumping must be continued for a greater or less length of time after the lamp has been put into operation in order. to withdraw' all oceluded or other gases which may be set free in the tube during the initial operation of the lamp. When gases are no longer given off, and the vacuum shows no signs of impairn'icnt, the connection between the tube and the pump may be sealed off.

In order to start the lamp on an ordinary direct current circuit, the main terminals 5, 10, are connected with a source of cur rent in such a manner that the mercury electrode 3 shall be the cathode and the electrode 6 the anode. electrode 14: is also connected to this source of current so as to form a 'sul'iplemental anode. Resistances l6 and 17 may be connected respectively in series with the main and supplemental anodes to adjust the ourmay be used, is veryconsiderable and has rent flow. These resistances also have a steadying efiect. The terminals of the-lamp having been connected as described, the lamp may be started into operation by gently shaking the lower end of the lamp, which may be supported from its upper end by .t he ring. 18 or some other suitable arrangement, This act of shaking, which in some instances may amount to no more than a'delicate touching of the lamp, causes mer- =cury to flow so as momentarily to connect the two electrodes 3 and 11, and upon their disconnection, as the mercury recedes, gives 'IlSB to an are or discharge betweenthe two voltage of the lamp to initiate the flow ofcurrent bet-ween the main electrodes when such voltage unassisted would be incapable of doing so. It is certain that the initial opposition to ,the flow of the main current in the tube, if such a word as opposition heretofore required the application of an electro-motive force of many hundreds of volts to the main electrodes of the tube in order so far to break down this initial opposition as to allow a moderate service electromotive force of the order, sayof 100 volts, to set .up and-maintain the normal flow of current in the tube. Electrically vaporizing mercury within the tube (vaporization merely by heating would be ineffective because the vapor thus produced in non-conducting), or otherwise liberating free ions at the surface, gives rise to a conducting vapor which may be distinguished from the ordinary vapor of mercury by designating it as ionized vapor. This ionized vapor, being produced locally, spreads out through the tube, as I believe by a propulsion of its charged molecules along the static lines of force in the tube. The ions thus liberated by the vaporization of mercury at the surface of. the main cathode 3 are therefore conveyed toward the'main anode 6 and the whole tube flashes into brilliance, the migration'of ions from the main cathode usually reaching its normal rate instantaneously after the action has once been started up through the operation of the supplemental or auxiliary anode in the manner described.

It will be seen that while prior inventors have concentrated their efforts on devising means for conveniently generating electromotive forces high enough to forcibly break down from without the initial opposition pt the tube, my invention, in the aspect I am now discussing, regardless of theory or nomenclature, is characterized by the fundamental distinction that I first weaken and, as it were, undermine this opposition to the flow of current so that I am then able to overcomeit by service electro-motive forces if desired. The simplest way of practising my invention in its broadest aspect is to impress upon the main-electrodes of a.tube in which the auxiliary electrode is either absent or inoperative a moderate electromotive force, and then to'sh'ake the tube so as more or less violently to agitate or break up the surface of the mercury terminal, whereupon the opposition to flow of current will be so far reduced as to enable the electro-motive force impressed upon the ter-v minals to start the lamp into operation.

In order toassist the flow of current between the main electrodes of a lamp of the character described, I have discovered that it is very advantageous to bring one of the electrodes, as for example the anode, within electrical proximity so to speak of the other electrode, and,this may be done by extending from the anode a suitable electrical conductor such for example as a car bon filament or rod or a filament or rod formed of graphite o-r carborundum or of mixtures of these substances and clay, this of material such as described. This filament. is anchored by means of a ring or hook 20 supported by a hollow piece of glass 21 sealed through the wall of the main tube. This hollow glass body has a small opening 22 between the interior thereof and the tube, whereby when the main tube is exhausted the interior of the body may likewise be exhausted, thereby doing away with any danger to the vacuum of the tube should any, accident such as cracking or the like occur to the glass body supporting the anchoring ring or hook 20.

WVhen the auxiliary arcing or starting de vice is put into operation, the conducting vapor proceeding from the main cathode 23 of the lamp seems, by the ]')resence of the filament or rod 19, to be able more readily same, due to its conducting or some other quality until it reaches the anode. This extension of one of the lamp electrodes toward the other by an electric conducting medium is particularly useful in connection with relatively long tubes.

I have set forth above that the auxiliary arc ,may be started by a manual agitation of the be used, such as I have disclosed and claimed in other applications filed concurrently herewith. If, however, the supplementary or secondary are be maintained during normal operation of the tube, I find that there results theimportant advantage that in case the lamp for any reason has any tendency toward unstable operation, this is entirely prevented? Furthermore where the main are alone would be stable within a very narrow range of current, the range of stability is materially increased by the presence of the secondary are, making it possible to Vary the main current of thetube from a small minimum value up to the point where the current is so great as to destroy the tube. By the use of an adjustable series resistance, the lamp may, so to speak, be turned up or down, or, in other words, its luminosity increased or diminished without departing from a condition of stable operation. Since the lamp consumes a substantially constant voltage at its terminals at all currents, and

since I have found by experiment that the ratio of the light to the energy consumed in the tube itself is within wide limits substantially independent of the current density, the efficiency of the lam) under these different conditions remains practically constant. Thus if the resistance inseries with the lamp is doubled, the current is practically halved, the drop of potential across the resistance rei'i'iaining practically the same as before, and the efficiency of the lamp the same as before or substantially so.

lVhat I claim as new nd desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is,

1. In an electric-lamp, the combination of a light transmitting envelop, of main electrodes, an auxiliary electrode, means for bringing said auxiliary electrode momentarily into electrical connection with one of the main electrodes.

2. An electric vapor lamp provided with velop, electrodes therefor,

separate paths for the flow of current through the lamp, and means for momentarily connecting one of said paths across a source of electrical energy.

3. The combination with the inclosing envelop, of a vapor electric device, of a vaporizable electrode, and an electrode cooperating with the vaporizable electrode and formed of a mixture of graphite and clay.

4. The combination with an exhausted inclosing envelop, of an electrode therefor adapted to emit vapor, and a cooperating electrode including graphite in its composition.

5. In an electric lamp, the combination of a light transmitting envelop, electrodes communicating with the interior of said envelop, one at least of which electrodes is of vaporizable material, and a conducting rod, filament or the like extending a part only of the distance between said electrodes.

6. In an electric lamp, the combination of an envelop, electrodes communicating with the interior of said envelop, one at least of which electrodes is of vaporizable material, and a conducting rod, filament or the like extending from one electrode a part only of the distance between said electrodes.

7. The combination of a light transmitting envelop, electrodes therefor adapted to operate respectively as anode and cathode. and a conducting rod, filament or the like joined to the anode and extending toward but not into contact with the cathode.

8. In an electric lamp, the con a light transmitting envelop, elect" municating with the interi velop, one of which electroi ble material, and a grap A cated between .said termin 9.. The combination of an conductor, located within extending between but not t necting said electrodes.

10. The combination of an c 'lnn velop, electrodes therefor, one a which is of vaporizable material, i filament or the like connected to one els trode within the envelop, and means For an choring or otherwise suitably securing the tree portion of said rod, filament, or like.

11. The combination of an exh: a o. velop, main electrodes therefor, and an a. iliary electrode adapted to be brought mo mentarily into contact with one of said paain electrodes.

12. The combination of an exhausted-envelop adapted to inclose a vaporous conducting medium, non-identical paths for the flow of currentthrough the envelop, and means for momentarily connecting one of said paths across a source of electrical ens'y' 1 13. The combination of an exhausted en- .velop, electrodes therefor, onev at least of a conducting rod, filament or the like, joined to the anode and extending toward but not into contact with the cathode.

15. The combination of an exhausted en"- velop, main electrodes therefor, and an auxiliary electrode adapted to be brought momentarily into. electrical connection with one of the main electrodes.

16. The combination of an envelop, electrodes therefor, one at least of which is of vaporizable material, and a conducting rod,

filament, or the like extending from one I electrode a part only of the distance between said electrodes.

17. The combination of a vapor-emitting electrode, a non-vaporizable electrode, and a refractory filamentary conductor extending between said electrodes and .supportedby the non-vaporizable electrode.

18. The combination of an envelop containing an attenuated atmosphere, electrodes therefor, one at least of which is of vaporizablematerial, and a conducting rod,

filament, or the like extending between the electrodes but out of connection with at least one of the electrodes.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 24th day of February, 1902. EZECHIEL WEINTRAUB.

Witnesses:

ALEX. F. MACDONALD,

HELEN ORFORD. 

